Cordage lubrication



Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORDAGE mmmormon Walter D. Hodson, Beverly Hills, 111. v Application December 6, 1035, Serial N... 53,248

- 5 Claims. (01. 111-2) This invention relates to a method of lubricating cordage and more particularly to a method of incorporating viscous lubricants therein.

In my co-pending application, No. 636,094, filed October 3, 1932, and Patent No. 2,000,951, issued May 14, 1935, are disclosed lubricants for wire ropes and rope materials in general. The lubricants comprise a fibrous base of markedly higher lubricant absorbing properties than the rope ma terial, and a grease in proportions to produce a plastic jelly-like mass of lubricant. The fiber is normally asbestos.

A preferred grease may be prepared from a viscous mineral oil, an aluminum soap, and an asphaltic or blown oil. For example, a suitable grease may be prepared of 39 parts of a heavy oil of 190-210 viscosity at 210 F., one part of aluminum oleate, and 50 parts of a blown oil having approximately 100 melt'point and a penetration in the order of 200 at 77 F. The fibrous base is incorporated in the lubricant in proportions depending upon the absorbing qualities of the base. A 'well ground, good quality asbestos may be used in the proportions of 10 parts asbestos to 90 parts of grease, but normally, as set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 744,061, filed September 14, 1934, it is preferred to use mixtures of finely ground and coarsely ground asbestos in which generally about 25 parts of total asbestos is used for parts of lubricant.

Such a lubricant may readily be incorporated in cordage material and thoroughly distributed therein by supplying the lubricant in the form of a thin tube of material surrounded by a lubricant permeable fabric rapidly disintegrated by the lubricant, and forming the cordage yarn about such tube.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, in

which- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a nipper assembly or spinning die for the formation of yarn; and Figs. 2-8, inclusive, represent progressive changes in the shape of the tube forming die; Fig. 9 is a cross section, of a tube of lubricant. 1

Fig. l s "ws a conventional form of spinning die In, in which a ribbon-forming passage or die II has been drilled. The ribbon-forming pas-' sage originally has a cross section, as shown in,

Fig. 2 and into this a fiat fabric ribbon I2 is introduced. The shape of the passage ll gradually changes in cross section to bend the edges of the ribbon l2 gradually about untilthey have substantially met. trated in Figs. 3 to 6. At a point in the die just These changes are illus-,

prior (in the direction of movement of the ribbon l2) to the junction'of the edges, a lubricant-feeding device I3 opens into the die adapted to feed lubricant between the edges of the fabric. This lubricant feeder is preferably 5 flexibly mounted on the member I4 to allow for movement thereof. After passing the lubricantfeeding device, the shape of the die'changes to an ellipse, and then to a circle, to force the edges of the ribbon together and into overlapping po- 10 sition. To facilitate overlapping, the die must be shaped to raise one edge of the fabric slightly over the other at a point just prior to'overlap- Pmg.

At the exit I 5 of the die I l the ribbon is caught 15 in the fibers 16 at a point just before they are twisted into the yarn ll.

The fibrous material of such a ribbon is of material, preferably paper, which is highly absorbent with respect to the lubricant employed 20 and is rapidly disintegrated by absorbed lubricant. The result is that lubricant is not thrown off in the spool box of the spinning machine, but is immediately available for distribution into the fibers and is forced into even distribution by fu- 25 method of feeding may be employed, and the 35 tube may be loaded with grease in advance.

In practice, the width of the ribbon I2 is slightly more than enough to form a tube of the desired diameter. For example, with a tube having a diameter of one-sixteenth inch, the 40 ribbon may be about one-fourth inch. The tube normally will have a diameter less than oneeighth inch, but it will, of course, depend upon the size of the cordage and its absorptiveness.

The term lubricant permeable fabric, as 45 used herein, applies both to porous fabrics and to fabrics which are rapidly disintegrated by the lubricant and become permeable after such disintegration.

The foregoing detailed description has been 50 given for clearness of understanding only, and

- no unnecessary limitations should be understood the lubricant comprises a grease and a fibrous material highly absorbent with respect to the cordage material.

5. The method of incorporating viscous jellylike lubricants in cordage, which comprises bending a ribbon of fabric rapidly disintegrated by the lubricant to form a tube introducing lubricant therein just prior to the formation of .the tube and forming cordage yarn about the lubricant-filled tube of fabric.

WALTER D. HODSON. 

